Death in Dreams
by Lady Blackfire
Summary: Spikes veiw of the events in Destiny in Dreams. Companion peice to Destiny in dreams, and is place between parts 16 and 17 of DID


**i don't own any of these characters. They all belong to the almighty Joss. If they were mine, well, i'd have a better computer for one thing. This is a companion piece to 'destiny in dreams', and goes in between parts 16 and 17 of that story. This is Spikes point of view of the after effects.**

For a moment, the world stopped spinning. Dawn hung at the top arc of her leap into the air. Her dress held tight to her body by the air around her. Each hair on her head trailed delicately behind her.  The gate lit her hair until it shimmered, a golden halo.  Her dress glowed a silver white. Her arms flung out to either side looked like wings stretched out in flight. Droplets of blood trailing through the air were as feathers. Buffy was in the midst of falling to her knees, her sob echoed in his ears. A single blood tear made a trail down his cheek.

Then the world moved on, as it always does, and Dawn fell. She cried out twice, and then there was silence. The gate was closed. Buffys sobs stopped, caught in her throat. Then in the deep silence, there came the muffled thump of a body hitting the ground.  Spike  took hold of the sobbing Slayer and carried her to the ground. Tara and Willow were beside the body. Tara sobbing with childlike grief, and Willow her face blank with shock.  Buffy threw herself at Dawns body, sobbing.  Out of the smoke came Xander, supported by Anya.  Giles came to stand beside Spike. 

Sirens rang throughout the city, people could be heard screaming. Giles pulled Buffy away, and soon only Willow, Tara and Spike remained at the body.  Willow knelt and ran her fingers through the slight figures hair. Her hand  was shaking.  Spike heard a slight moan and remembered Ben. He walked through the smoke, to the broken body. He knelt next to it.  Bens eyes focused on him.

"Is she ok?" Ben asked. Spike shook his head, and felt the tears come faster. "I'm sorry." Ben murmured. "I tried to keep her safe as long as I could. But Glory always finds out." The young man breathing was rapid and shallow. He didn't have much time left. "I heard her." Ben went on. "She said her destiny was in dreams. She was something else." Ben tried to speak again, but blood bubbled up in his mouth. He gasped once, then was silent, his eyes staring at nothing in death. Spike closed Bens eyes and stood.

"Yeah she was. There's nothing but death in my dreams." Spike said to the silent figure. He went back to Tara and Willow, both of whom were sobbing.  He gathered up the broken body, and began to task of taking her to the hospital. Willow and Tara followed him, supporting each other.  The hospital was in chaos, and Spike did the easiest thing. The body in his arms was battered, and her dress was spattered with blood. A nurse took her from him and began CPR. Spike collapsed to the floor then and wept, as a flurry of people tried to bring her back to life.  Willow and Tara made the formal statement. Spike said nothing. Hours later,  a doctor pulled the three of them aside. 

"Hello." He said quietly. "I need to know where Buffy Summers is." It was the family doctor, his eyes kind. 

"Shes gone." Spike said softly.  "She watched it happen and she left. The shock was a bit to much for her i expect. We'll take charge, Red and I." Beside him Willow nodded. Tara asleep in her arms. 

"Well then I read your statement, and I did the autopsy. Dawn landed on some wooden crates that did major damage to her internal organs. She also received several cuts, but it is my professional opinion that she had a heart attack and was dead before he hit the ground." The doctor took off his glasses and wipes them with a tissue. "The events of the past weeks, her mothers death, the kidnapping and the ritual threats where to much for her and her heart simply gave out." Willow began to sob again, quietly.  "She felt little pain." the doctor said. 

"Thank you." Spike said. "We'll make arrangements for her burial shortly." The doctor wandered away after a moment, and Spike headed for the pay phones. He called Angel. There was no answer, and Spike heaved a sigh. He left a message at Buffys home and Giles home. Stating where the body was and what the story was.

He returned to Willow and Tara. "Come on Red. We're going to L.A." He said softly.

The trip to LA was brutal. They'd packed everything into Spikes RV with in moments, not bothering to put it in boxes. Everything they owned went into the bedroom, making a reasonable heap. Spike drove, ignoring speed signs, stopping only once for gas. The reached the hotel just before sunset that day. the hotel was empty, and judging from the answering machine, it had been for some time. Spike collapsed on a bench facing the door, and Willow and Tara curled up on his right side. The two fell into a fitful sleep but Spike remained awake. Seeing Dawn over and over in his mind. She'd looked so certain, so calm as if she knew that what she was doing was exactly the right thing to do. Then the line about her destiny being in dreams. What had she meant? Sound outside had Willow and Tara stirring. The door opened and Angel, Cordy, Wesley and three others spilled in, laughing. 

The laughter died and Spike winced realizing what they must look like. Covered with dried blood and bruises. Willow and Tara both had tear tracks through the grime on theirs cheeks. If it had been any other reason, he'd have chuckled at the look on Angels faces.

"Buffy?" Angel asked, moving towards them. Spike shook his head and decided that he got to play messenger. Spike stood and approached them.

"Dawn." He said finally, knowing that his voice was rough from crying and unshed tears. "Glory got her, opened a portal." Cordy was crying, and Spike swallowed. "Buffy and I went up, I got Glory, knocked us both off the tower. When I got back up, Dawn was free, and bleeding. Buffy was crying. Dawn said that I should take care of Buffy, and to go to you. That you'd understand." Spike paused, watching as something like understanding dawned in his grandsires eyes.  "She said that her destiny was in dreams. And then.. she jumped." Spike closed his eyes and the image appeared before him. They way she hung, and cried out two names. Then the silence and the darkness the final thump. Spike knew he was crying again, and wiped the tears angrily away. He opened his eyes to see Angel moving towards him. Spike stepped back, unaware of what was happening.  Then Angel was crying and Spike was in his arms, crying and holding the other man. "In dreams." Spike sobbed. "Poor little nibbit." He was aware of sobbing around him, from Willow, Tara, Cordy and even Wesley.  "Doesn't she know, you still die in your dreams."  The words tore from his throat with force that surprised him. 

The phone rang, and was picked up.

"Angel investigations, we help the helpless." Said the young man that had come in with Angel. "Um, Angels busy. Can I take a message?" Spike suppressed his sobs, and was aware of Angel doing the same. They stepped away from each other, embarrassed at what they had shared. "Yeah ok, Rupert Giles. How do you spell that?" The man was asking when Wesley took the phone.

"Wesley here. What can I do for you Mr. Giles?" he said, his voice brisk. "No Angel is unavoidably detained. How can I help you?" A pause  "Yes I heard. My sympathies to the slayer, Dawn was delightful." Another pause. "Yes they are here." a deep breath. "No they are busy. Can i convey a message to them." Then Wesley gasped, his voice deepened with anger. "No service? Why the bloody hell not? What do you mean the slayer is being recalled?" Angel moved and picked up another extension. "What do you mean the slayer has no sister, nor did she ever?"  Spike growled, and lunged for the phone.  Angel held him back, Spike could hear Giles.

"The council has decided that it would be best if the records are altered." Giles was saying, his voice thick. 

"Since when do you work for the council Rupert?" Wesley demanded. 

"The slayer is going to England for training, I am going with her to see to her well being." Giles said, stubbornly.

"Since when has she ever been just the slayer Giles?" Angel demanded. "She used to be Buffy. You remember don't you? What changed." Giles took a deep breath. 

"The recent events," He said, then paused. "Buffy has no memories of a sister." Spike felt as if he'd be punched in the jaw. "The council erased them with a spell shortly after Dawn." Giles choked back a sob. "Closed the portal." Giles took a deep breath. "She has no reason to mourn. Dawn will be buried next to her mother, the council will see to it." Spike stumbled away from the phone and collapsed next to Willow, who was locked in an embrace with Cordelia. 

The rest of the evening went by in a shocked blur.  Angel provided him with a room in the basement, and invited them all to stay as long as they needed. Spike fed, and collapsed in much needed sleep. The next few days passed in a blur of grief and anger.  Willow and Cordelia were trying to bring back Tara's mind with the help of Lorne, a demon. Then Giles visited them, holding a photo album, and Dawns bow and arrows. 

"Buffy doesn't see the need to keep these." He said, handing the album to Spike. "I thought you'd like them. You were close." Giles lay the bow and arrows on the floor. "And this belongs to you in any case." Giles hook his head and handed spike and envelope. "This is from the council. I know you don't want it, but its for you, Willow and Tara, for taking care of Dawns body. You may need it someday. " Then he was gone, and Spike was left staring at an envelope full of blood money. 

He gave the money to Willow, and she put it in her bank account. She and Lorne had done much with Tara, but the scars were still there. The blond witch stuttered now and then, and she had a haunted look. She could see auras without thinking twice about it now.  Leaving the pair he headed for his room, but stopped as Angel, waved at him.

"I thought we should have a talk." Angel said, inviting Spike into his office. "I have some stuff to tell you, about Dawn." Spike sat and regarded Angel wryly.

"She said you'd understand." Spike said uncertain of what was going on.

"I came up, the day of her moms funeral." Angel said. "And I ran into Dawn at the cemetery. She told me some stuff." Angel leaned forwards and caught Spikes gaze. "Dawn was soul bonded Spike. She was a dream walker." Spike sat up straight, a million thing suddenly making sense.  Angel nodded. "The powers that be bonded her to two elves. From another world, another reality. "

"my destiny is in dreams." Spike said slowly, understanding now what she meant. "Do you think, she's with them? Wherever they are?" he asked, his eyes locked on Angels. Angels eyes slipped away.

"I don't know." the older vampire admitted slowly. "I hope she is." Angel sighed and shook his head. "I do know that where ever she is, she's happy." Spike glared at Angel.

"How do you know that?" Spike demanded. Angel sighed and slip a peice of paper across the table to Spike. It had that days date on it and was written in Dawn hand writing. It said.

"I'm ok- I miss you. I'm not mad about Buffy. " At the bottom was a happy face with fangs and her signature.

"Where did you get this?" Spike said, angry and sad and excited all at once. 

"An old friend dropped it off two seconds before you came down the hallway." Angel said.

"But the hallway was empty." Spike replied.

"And Doyles dead anyways" Angel said. "He showed up for about two seconds, handed it to me said that Dawn asked if he'd get this to you some how. Then he was gone."

"So what does it mean?" Spike said, half in shock. Angel shook his head. 

"I don't know. I guess we keep hoping." Their eyes met. "Keep dreaming."


End file.
